Table attachment for automobiles



April 18, 1933. Q w -rm I 1,903,900

TABLE ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 7, 1952 Patented Apr. 18,1933 CHARLES W. MARTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS TABLE ATTACHMENT FOItAUTOMOBILES Application filed July 7', 1932. Serial No. 621,157.

This invention appertains to attachments for automobiles, and it has forone of its primary objects the provision of means whereby a table can bereadily associated 5 with the rear face of the front seat of anautomobile, so that the occupants of the automobile will have anefieotive support for eating, writing, or other purposes.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide an eating orWriting table for automobiles, in which the use of all supportingbrackets, legs, or other extraneous fastening means are entirelyeliminated, the table attachment being so constructed as to cooperatewith the usual lap-robe rail for holding the attachment in position.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a novel tableattachment for automobiles formed from a single blank of metal andprovided with means at its rear edge for receiving the lap-robe rail andfor engaging the front seat and under the brackets of the lap-robe railso that the same will be held rigidly in a horizontal position againstaccidental movement during use.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a table attachmentfor automobiles which can be readily and quickly asso ciated with therear face of the front automobile seat without any work on the part ofthe user, and which, owing to its simple construction, can be receivedwithin a pocket M or slot formed in the back of the front seat,

when the attachment is not in use. 7

A still further object of my invention is to provide a table attachmentof exception ally simple and durable construction, which can bemanufactured and placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the novel construction,

arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter morespecifically described,

claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing aFigure 1 is a transverse sectional View through my improved tableattachment,

showing the same associated with an automobile, the attachment being inits operative 7 corresponding parts throughout the several 5. 7

views, the letter A generally indicates my improved table attachment foran automobile B. i

- The automobile B of any preferred type or make and hassimply beenillustrated to show the use of my novel attachment. As shown, theautomobile embodies the front seat 5 havingthe back 6, to which issecured in the ordinary manner the lap-robe rail7; The lap-robe rail 7is of the .ordinaryconstruction and-is pivotally secured to the ordinarysupporting brackets'8 therefor. i

My improved attachment A is preferably constructed from a single blankofmetal and I do not limit myself to the .kind of metal used, as in somecases, where a comparatively inexpensive article is-desired, the samecan be made from aluminum, and where a more durable, expensive article1s desired, the same can be made from sheet steel and 'chrominum-platedto enhance the'appearance thereof. This attachment A comprises a flatbody plate.- 10 which forms the supporting surface proper, and which canbe used for any purpose, such as eating, vwriting, or the like. Thisplate 10 extends substantially the width of the lap-robe rail 7 and hasits rear edge bent downwardly at right angles,

as at 11, to form a longitudinally extending abutment shoulder 12.Formed on the depending, right-angularlyv extending portion 11 is theforwardly extending portion 13, which in turn carries the upwardly andrearwardly directed inclined front flange 14:.

The edgesof the front flange l lcarry later; 9

ally projecting wings 15 for a purpose which will be later set forth.The formation of the depending portion 11, the forwardly projectingportion 13, and the front flange 14 provide a substantially U-shapedtrough in cross section, which extends the entire length of theattachment.

In the use of my improved attachment, the lower edge of the same isplaced between the lap-robe rail 7 and the back 6 of the front seat 5 sothat the lap-robe rail 7 will engage the abutment shoulder 12. The tableattachment is then swung to a raised, horizontal position, and theflange 14 will abut against the rear face of the back seat, and thewings 15 will engage under the brackets 8, or the fastening elementthereof, for holding the attachment against further swinging movement.This will eflectively hold the attachment in its horizontal position sothat the same can be used for its desired purpose.

Obviously this forms an exceptionally simple and durable tableattachment, which can be quickly and easily associated with anautomobile without any change in the construction thereof.

In some instances it may be desirable to place the attachment entirelyout of sight and out of the way'of the occupants of the automobile whenit is not being used. In this instance a pocket or slot 16 can be formeddirectly in the back 6 of the front seat 5. This pocket can be providedwith an entrance slot 17 so that the attachment can be readily slid intothe pocket or removed therefrom.

Changes in detailmay be made without departing from the-spirit or scopeof this invention, but what I claim as new is 1. The combination with anautomobile having the front seat provided with a pivoted lap-robe railon its rear face, of a table attachment for the automobile comprising aflat plate having a substantially U-shaped trough formed on onelongitudinal edge, said trough forming an abutment shoulder forreceiving the pivoted lap-robe rail, and an abutment flange for engagingthe rear face of the seat. I

2. The combination with an automobile having a frontseat and a lap-roberail on its rear face, brackets secured to the rear face of the frontseat pivotally supporting said rail, of a table attachment for theautomobile comprising a flat body plate having a substantially U-shapedtrough on one longitudinal edge providing an abutment shoulder forreceiving the lap-robe rail, a front flange for engaging the rear faceof the front seat, and laterally extending wings formed on the frontflange extending beyond the side edges of the trough for engaging thebrackets of the lap-robe rail. 7

3. As a new article of manufacture, a table attachment for automobilesformed from a single blank of metal including a flat body consin.

CHARLES W. MARTIN.

